SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For the first time in five years, the Missouri State men’s swimming & diving team defeated crosstown rival Drury at the Panthers’ home venue (Breech Pool). The Bears posted a 134-109 victory over the eight-time defending NCAA Division II champion, while the Drury women swept the season series with a 149-94 win on Wednesday (Jan. 23).

The Missouri State men couldn’t have asked for a better start to the meet as Paul Le, Isaac Springer, Matthew Wilson and Vitalii Baryshok powered the Bears’ 200 medley relay to an early victory and a new Breech Pool record. With DU and MSU both under the previous pool record (1:32.53), the Bears’ time of 1:30.86 smashed the former mark.

The 200-yard freestyle events provided excitement beginning with a tight race between DU’s Tiffany Bell (1:52.71) and MSU freshman Dora Kiss (1:53.06). In the men’s race, sophomore Vitalii Baryshok gave the Bears more momentum with another pool record (1:38.24). Fellow sophomore Caleb Schuermann also logged a season-best time (1:40.58) and third place overall.

In the next women’s races, freshman Kate Gately and junior Renata Sander recorded top-three finishes in the 50 free and 200 IM, respectively.

Le (50 free) and sophomore Chris Carpenter (200 IM) secured the MSU men’s second and third event wins in a row, ultimately the turning point for the Bears. In the 200 IM, Missouri State registered the four fastest times (Carpenter, Kalnins, Hill, Jansen) and outscored the Panthers, 16-3.

The visiting Bears had a strong showing in the 1-meter diving competition. On the women’s side, junior Lindsey Conway picked up the win with a season-best score of 263.84 and was just 1.16 points shy of her first NCAA Zone ‘D’ qualifying cut. Sophomore standout Garrett Nevels (346.35) won the men’s 1-meter with ease, defeating the next closest competitor by 80 points. Later in the meet, Nevels stepped up once again and finished first on 3-meter (324.82).

Following the break, the Missouri State women recorded 2-3 finishes in succession in the 100 fly and 100 free. Roni Balzam (58.73) led the way in the 100 fly, followed by freshman Juliana Kagami (58.99). In the 100 free, Gately placed second (53.39), while senior Andrea Uzcategui finished third (53.40). For the men’s 100 fly, Matthew Wilson was the Bears top finisher in second (50.54).

Baryshok took control of what looked to be nail-biter in the men’s 100 free, winning by .53 seconds over Drury’s Vlad Sidorkin. With a .05 second lead after the first 50, the sophomore sprinter finished strong, splitting a 23.26 on the back end of the race.

Another tight race occurred between MSU’s Anna Ahlin and Molly Brown of Drury in the 100 backstroke. Dead even at the half-way point, Brown had the last burst of energy to win by .05 seconds.

2012 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier Paul Le tallied a third pool record for the Bears in the 100 back, winning with a season-best time of 48.69. Bears’ Yuri Garanito completed the 1-2 sweep for the Bears in the event clocking in at 50.71.

Newcomer Dora Kiss was on the winning end in her second individual event. She picked up the first swimming victory for the MSU women in the 500 free and cruised to a new season best and a 4.5 second victory.

In the men’s 500 free, Schuermann and Drury’s Ryan Arabejo took the race down to the wire, but it was a 27.46 split in the second-to-last 50 that gave Arabejo the edge.

The Bears got their third win on the women’s side as breaststroker Renata Sander ran away from the competition with her time of 1:03.90 in the 100. The second-place finisher clocked in at 1:06.21.

To cap off the successful night for the MSU men, freshman Isaac Springer had a come-from-behind victory in the 100 breast and tacked on the Bears’ fourth pool record (55.94). He defeated Panthers’ Kacper Pelczynski by .03 seconds.

As a reminder, fans can catch a tape-delayed broadcast of the “Duel in the Pool” on Mediacom’s MC-22 on Thursday (Jan. 24), Friday (Jan. 25) and Saturday (Jan. 26) at 7 p.m.

The Missouri State men’s team will continue dual-meet action on Friday (6 p.m.) with an away meet at Missouri S&T in Rolla, Mo. Next for the women is the 2013 MVC Championships (Feb. 14-16).